Dream Big! Join The Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering & Technology, March 8-9, 2017

WASHINGTON DC, March 1, 2017 – The Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering & Technology kicks off on Wednesday, March 8 at 12:00 pm (ET), with an opening keynote entitled The Engineering of Cirque du Soleil: An Intersection of Circus Arts & Technology. Known for its awe-inspiring feats and larger-than-life spectacles, Cirque du Soleil produces some of the world's most technologically-advanced productions. The panel session will be broadcast from one of Cirque's Las Vegas theaters.

A free, worldwide online forum across six continents, the Global Marathon connects and engages women – and those who support them -- in a unique opportunity to learn and be inspired. The two-day event, which also includes local satellite events, features over 15 sessions and 45 speakers. The Global Marathon enables professionals and students to meet virtually, learn from others and share their stories about personal, educational and professional challenges and successes.

In keeping with this year’s theme, Dream Big!, Day One (March 8) of the Marathon centers around Creating Your Dream, while the Day Two (March 9) focus is Making Your Dream A Reality.

This exciting session will include engineers involved in the space industry who will discuss their personal perspectives about commercial space travel, the current market and what the future holds. Speakers include Erika Wagner, Business Development Manager for Blue Origin, LLC, a developer of vehicles and technologies to enable human space transportation.

This facilitated, presentation-style conversation, led by subject matter experts from a variety of fields in engineering and technology, presents different perspectives that are all committed to strengthening diversity and inclusion in the engineering and technology workforce. Speakers include Effie Anolik, Developer Advocate at Shopify, the e-commerce company that develops computer software for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems.

STEM, the Other Mother Tongue (March 9, 9:15 am – 10:00 am ET)

Day Two kicks off with a dialogue with three Asia-based experts as they share their viewpoint on how STEM is growing beyond curiosity and stereotypes, as a new global language. Speakers include Rohit Gupta, Founder, Crux Labs, the technology start up that builds IT products that simplify technology.

IBM's P-TECH Fueling the New Collar Economy (March 9, 12:30 pm - 1:00 pm ET)
Discover how IBM's P-TECH model is preparing students for new jobs in a global economy. Voices from school leadership, P-TECH graduates and IBM share how the model works to break down barriers and build a pathway to STEM careers for young women. Speakers include Karen Amaker, Director, Norwalk Early College Academy, a program based on the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) model, that combines the best of high school, college, and the professional world.

Dream Big: Engineering Our World (March 9, 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm ET)

The final Marathon session is a look at the new IMAX® film Dream Big, which takes viewers on a journey of discovery.Dream Big shows more than engineers’ incredible ingenuity—it also reveals the heart that drives engineers to create better lives for people worldwide. Hear from amazing women featured in the film. Speakers include Avery Bang, President and CEO, Bridges to Prosperity, the non-profit organization that provides isolated communities access to healthcare, education and markets by teaching communities how to build footbridges over impassable rivers.

The 2017 Global Marathon is chaired by Renee Perry, Senior Director at Fluor Corporation and Procurement Department Manager for the Houston office.

“The Global Marathon will inspire you, connect you with new friends, and renew your sense of personal and professional empowerment,” said Perry. “Please join me - and women and men from around the world - for this one-of-a-kind event.”

The Global Marathon continues to grow each year. The 2017 event builds on the success of 2016. The number of 2016 registered attendees grew 16% over 2015. Registration information and a complete agenda of activities for the 2017 event can be found here.

DiscoverE will live tweet throughout the event using the hashtag: #GlobalMarathon. You can also check out blog posts from the Global Marathon thought leaders on Facebook at Facebook.com/GlobalMarathon.

DiscoverE is leading a growing volunteer movement that inspires and informs present and future generations to discover engineering. Our network of volunteers in the US and abroad is drawn from the DiscoverE coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations and government agencies. Together we meet a vital need: introducing students, parents, and educators to engineering, engaging them in hands-on engineering experiences and making science and math relevant. For more information, visit www.discovere.org.